Mental Health and Access to Mental Health Care

Richard Bischoff seeks to improve access to high-quality mental health care via the use of technology and videoconferencing. He has been on the UNL faculty since 1998, having moved to Nebraska from San Diego, Calif., where he worked as a marriage and family therapist. He applies his interest in collaborative health care and medical family therapy to Nebraska’s rural medical settings, using videoconferencing as a primary treatment delivery option to provide care to underserved populations. This strategy has increased access to mental health care for underserved rural residents and has resulted in improved perceptions about mental health problems and mental health care in the communities served. Participating student therapists receive firsthand experience with mental health care technology and working with providers and patients in rural areas. (Updated December 2024.)

Julia Torquati is a professor in the Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies and chair of Infant Mental Health Committee. Torquati studies the impact of programs that move kids outdoors and also studies effective teaching methods for teachers. Her recent work has examined the relationship between family income, parent education and the quality of early childhood education programs, as well as environmental education, a natural way to nurture children’ development and learning. She holds a doctorate in family studies from the University of Arizona and previously worked as a senior research associate at the University of Miami’s Department of Pediatrics.

Trey Andrews is the co-director of Minority Health Disparities Initiative and is an associate professor of psychology and ethnic studies. Dr. Andrews focuses on strategies for pursuing mental health equity for Latine populations, particularly immigrant and Spanish-speaking populations. He has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and other internal funding.